Senator Tim Scott calls on longshoremen to postpone strike amid hurricane devastation

CHARLESTON COUNTY, S.C. (WCIV) – US Senator Tim Scott is calling on longshoremen to postpone an upcoming strike after Hurricane Helene devastated several communities in the southeastern US.

The union representing U.S. longshoremen has signaled that 45,000 members will walk off work at midnight, triggering a massive strike that is expected to close ports on the East and Gulf Coasts if demands are not met during a contract renegotiation, it said it in a report by The Associated Press. Scott (R, SC) asked members to continue their work to help those devastated by the storm.

“At least 100 Americans have died, millions were without power, and flooding continues to devastate homes and communities in the wake of Hurricane Helene,” Scott said in a statement. “I call on the members of the International Longshoremen's Association to temporarily continue their work under their current contract until suffering from the storm has subsided.

Scott continued, “As Americans, it is our duty to provide access to shelter, food, water and electricity to those in need. A strike would severely disrupt our supply chain and economy and only compound the pain of those who have already lost everything.”

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The ILA confirmed over the weekend that its members would go on strike at 12:01 a.m. on Tuesday. In an update Monday, the union continued to blame the United States Maritime Alliance, which represents the ports, for “blocking the path” to an agreement before the contract deadline.

ILA members are calling for higher wages and a total ban on the automation of cranes, gates and container transporters used in loading and unloading cargo.

The upcoming strike by ILA workers, which will impact ports from Maine to Texas, will be the union's first since 1977.

If a strike were deemed a threat to the U.S. economic health, President Joe Biden could seek a court order for an 80-day cooling-off period under the Taft-Hartley Act of 1947. This would suspend the strike.

“Because it's collective bargaining, I don't believe in Taft-Hartley,” Biden said, referring to a 1947 law that allows the president to intervene in labor disputes that endanger the country's health or safety.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.